Puppy who lost ears after being lit on fire recovering after undergoing emergency treatment in Calgary

Eight-week old Nero is recovering with his foster parent, Katie Aures, after being found with severe facial burns at a Saskatchewan work camp. Alberta Rescue Crew Society is nursing him back to health in Calgary.Christina Ryan
/ Calgary Herald

Eight-week old Nero is recovering with his foster parent, Katie Aures, after being found with severe facial burns at a Saskatchewan work camp. Alberta Rescue Crew Society is nursing him back to health in Calgary.Christina Ryan
/ Calgary Herald

Eight-week old Nero is recovering with his foster parent, Katie Aures, after being found with severe facial burns at a Saskatchewan work camp. Alberta Rescue Crew Society is nursing him back to health in Calgary.Christina Ryan Christina Ryan
/ Calgary Herald

Eight-week old Nero is recovering with his foster parent, Katie Aures, after being found with severe facial burns at a Saskatchewan work camp. Alberta Rescue Crew Society is nursing him back to health in Calgary.Photo courtesy AARCS

Eight-week old Nero is recovering with his foster parent, Katie Aures, after being found with severe facial burns at a Saskatchewan work camp. Alberta Rescue Crew Society is nursing him back to health in Calgary.Christina Ryan
/ Calgary Herald

Eight-week old Nero is recovering with his foster parent, Katie Aures, after being found with severe facial burns at a Saskatchewan work camp. Alberta Rescue Crew Society is nursing him back to health in Calgary.Christina Ryan
/ Calgary Herald

Nero is like most normal puppies: playful, excited to romp around with other dogs, and content to be cuddled.

He doesn’t let his missing ears or his badly burned face get in the way of having fun.

“He’s a happy-go-lucky puppy,” Deanna Thompson, executive director at the Alberta Animal Rescue Crew Society (AARCS), said Monday. “He doesn’t seem to have any issues with people, even though he was badly abused.”

Just last week, the mixed-breed puppy, about seven weeks old, was discovered at a Saskatchewan work camp north of Meadow Lake, his face covered with severe burns.

It’s suspected something flammable was poured on the animal before he was lit on fire, Thompson said.

The worker had a connection to Calgary and delivered the puppy — named Nero by staff — to AARCS on Friday for emergency treatment.

Nero’s ears, which were the worst of his injuries, fell off during surgery but seem to be healing well.

Now veterinary staff are closely monitoring his eyelids, which appear to be folding out, Thompson said, adding he may require further surgery.

In addition to the regimen of painkillers, antibiotics and anti-inflammatory medication Nero is on, he also requires eye drops every two to three hours.

Otherwise, he is being nursed back to health at his foster parents’ home, where he is enjoying the company of other dogs.

It may be several more months of recovery before Nero will be placed in his forever home.

But already, dozens of animal lovers from as far away as Ontario have expressed interest in adopting him, Thompson said.

“Volunteers say the phone has been ringing off the hook. And our emails, we’ve probably had more than 30 people who want to adopt Nero,” she said.

“There won’t be enough of him to go around and one special family will get him. But we have hundreds of other deserving animals who need a home.”

Thompson said AARCS is still waiting for an update from the Saskatchewan SPCA, whom she notified about Nero’s case, eager to find out who did this to the puppy.

Saskatchewan SPCA officials are promising a full investigation, but caution it’s often tough to track down such perpetrators.

“We’ll certainly do what we can,” said Kaley Pugh, Saskatchewan SPCA manager of animal protection. “With no physical evidence and no witnesses, it’ll be difficult. We’ll do our best.”

Unfortunately, this isn’t the first dog burning case AARCS has dealt with. Earlier this year, three adult dogs were brought into their facility with burn injuries, Thompson said.

“This happens everywhere,” she said. “We hope Nero’s story will bring more awareness to people regarding homeless animals, and the plight of abused and abandoned animals in our country.”

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